Island Life

The day started with a seawatch, parallel to Daniel Donnecke's at Beechy Head. It's amazing how different they can be, considering the short distance. I was grateful to have another birder with me to help turn specks into birds. Carl Hughes and I started out with hundreds of California Gulls nearby. Over the next hour, the numbers of other species were very low, but we did manage to see a jaeger (species to be determined-or not) and a lone Sooty Shearwater.  

A long line of mostly California Gulls

While Daniel continued to count the birds at Beechy, Carl, Brady and I got to the work on the island, starting with cleaning gull poop off the solar panels, windows, and decks.

Mission accomplished, we were able to spend much of the day enjoying the wildlife, including the animals of the intertidal zone as the early morning tides remained low. 

Egg masses of some tiny creature

Mussels with my foot for comparison

Velvety red sponge

Purple sea urchins, leatherback chiton, lined chiton and sea anenome

Shorebirds continued to be cooperative, including three Killdeer that showed up during the day!  I hear them almost every night, but had not seen them on land here during the day until yesterday. Two Ruddy Turnstones continue to be seen.

Surfbird

Black Turnstone

Snoozing Ruddy Turnstone

Killdeer

Of course, the eyes are mostly turned towards the sea and the sky.  Young California and Heermann's Gulls keep tricking us into thinking they are jaegers, but eventually they morph into just another young gull.  A Northern Harrier overhead was a fun sighting today. More Barn Swallows came through in early morning, and a Brown-headed Cowbird flitted from island to island. Five Brown Pelicans took off from the rocks east of Great Race.

While Carl and I are largely focussed on the birds, Brady has been spending quality time with the mammals. Everyone was delighted when Bubbles headed to the jetty for a swim today.Watching this very large animal work his way down the paths to the ocean is a memorable experience! She has also gotten to know the gull families along her routes.  Great Race is a very small island and it doesn't take much time to get to know the neighbours!

Elephant seal on the move

California sea lions

The Glaucous-winged Gulls also provided some interesting moments today. There was quite a bit of fighting, some of it in the water. It got quite ferocious, feathers were pulled out and looked like they were trying to drown one another.

At the same time, a young gull decided to test its water wings.  I was surprised to see this last year, but wasn't concerned this time around. But Brady and Carl noticed it in the water while they were in the lighthouse and thought I might be attempting a rescue when they saw me near the beach.

Mushu has found a new favourite sleeping place. No longer under the covers, he spent most of the day curled up on my pillow.

Tonight, Carl has set up his sound recording equipment. It will be amazing if he gets anything other than gulls and sea lions (and fog horn), but we're excited to find out.